


don't piss off a seals master

by stupidbadgers



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, M/M, and i love him, but it gets better by the end, his name is kawaguchi, i borrowed a friend's oc, in which he is Snail, seals master Iruka, technically he only appears in his ANBU form though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26209102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidbadgers/pseuds/stupidbadgers
Summary: perhaps it was a little petty of iruka to almost completely dismantle the warding protecting hokage tower, but could you really blame him?
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 24
Kudos: 355





	don't piss off a seals master

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HazelBeka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelBeka/gifts).



> i don't know where this idea came from but i was going to let it go live in the land of never written ideas, but iruka was persistent in telling me that this story needed to be written. thus we have this... was it an excuse to write seals master iruka? maybe. am i ashamed of this? hell no. 
> 
> the character of the ANBU Snail (his name is kawaguchi) is my dear friend [Hazel's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazelBeka) OC from several of her stories, but i love him the most in [From the Dust](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5353178). i highly recommend it. 
> 
> the spiderweb chakra seal is another creation from the fascinating mind of Hazel. i encourage you to find it in her series [ 101 Uses for a Barrier Seal](https://archiveofourown.org/series/373676). 
> 
> thank you hazel for letting me play in your sandbox. i hope i did you proud. 
> 
> pls enjoy~~

He could hear the voices as he approached the door. The Hokage’s tone was tight, frustrated, and he could tell she was keeping herself from yelling. 

“I don’t like your implications.” 

Another voice replied, “It’s been a month since he was supposed to check in. We have to consider the possibility. I suggest sending a rescue team—” 

The Hokage’s voice cut off the other, “You may enter, Iruka-sensei.” 

Iruka felt his face heat. He was not embarrassed to be caught listening at the door of the Hokage’s office. No, he was still angry with her for refusing him any details about Kakashi. It had been three months since the man had left in middle of the night with little more than a kiss to Iruka’s cheek. 

At first, Iruka had assumed it was a standard mission, one that was high enough clearance that details were not shared openly. Until a full month had passed and there was no word, not even an estimated arrival back, for which he had asked the Hokage one evening when he was dropping off the days reports from the mission desk, much like right now. Two months had gone with no word and his aggravation with their leader had not eased. Yesterday had marked the third month Kakashi had been gone and Iruka had become Officially Worried. His attempts to speak with the Hokage about it had been brushed aside, redirected like he was a pre-genin misusing a kunai. 

He strode into the room, head held high and shoulders back. He kept his expression carefully blank as he placed the reports on the center of the desk. 

“Today’s reports,” he said before turning around. 

Before he could reach the door. Tsunade’s voice rang out, “say what you want to say, shinobi.” 

He paused, turning slowly. Iruka eyed her carefully. 

“I have the highest clearance level of any chuunin in Konoha. It’s even higher than some jounin. I am trusted with all kinds of information and I have a mastery in barriers and seals that has not been seen since the Yondaime. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, you refuse to tell me even the smallest detail regarding Kakashi’s mission. I don’t even know if he’s alive.” 

“Yet you are still just a chuunin,” Tsunade said, her voice hard. 

“Lady Tsunade!” Shizune cried, shock coloring her face. The other person—Shikaku, now that Iruka was in the room and had paid attention—had stepped back toward the shadows, knowing to stay out of Iruka’s line of fire. 

Iruka clenched his jaw. Anger burned through his body. He expected this from his peers, but never from his Hokage. His hands flicked through several hand signs. Nearly all the warding around Tsunade’s office and Hokage Tower lowered. Only basic wards still remained. 

“Ah, as _just a_ _chuunin_ , I’m sure you won’t need my help fixing that,” Iruka said, waving his hand in the air, gesturing to the wards that were no longer present. He completed a shunshin out of the office before Tsunade could reply. 

* 

Back at the Hatake Compound, Iruka put up the extra barriers he had in place for emergencies. Only three chakra signatures could dismantle them or cross through them: Iruka’s, Kakashi’s, and Naruto’s. Anyone else wouldn’t be able to penetrate the barrier, which encompassed the whole of the Hatake land. Iruka had figured out how to store bits of chakra into the seals and maintain them throughout the barriers construction and implementation to avoid severe chakra drain while it was active. To date, he could hold the barrier for at least a week. 

One of his favorite parts of the barrier though, was the seal he had worked into it. His teacher had designed the seal, calling it spiderweb chakra. When activated, it created a layer of chakra that would stick to people. It was quite useful when people tried to get through the barrier. There was a certain satisfaction watching people struggle against the barrier, unable to free themselves from it. 

It was several hours later when Iruka felt the chakra push against the barrier, though it did not touch the barrier. It was a familiar chakra, one that Iruka had encountered before, and it knew to not touch the barrier itself. Iruka took his time walking out of the house, making his way to the front gate. On the other side stood two ANBU, one in a cat mask and the other’s designed to be reminiscent of a snail. 

“Iruka-sensei, the Hokage requests your presence immediately,” the ANBU in the cat mask said. 

Iruka crossed his arms, “I politely deny her request.” 

The other ANBU spoke, “that’s not really an option.” 

Snail leaned forward, beginning to say something. 

“I wouldn’t do that,” Iruka said as Cat grabbed Snail’s shoulder, but it was too late. Snail had leaned too far forward and in trying to catch his balance, both his mask and hands were now stuck to the barrier. 

“Oh shit,” Snail muttered. 

Iruka could see the resignation in Cat’s body language and could almost picture the look on the man’s face beneath the mask. 

“I told you not to get that close,” Cat said. “Iruka-sensei, will you please release my partner and come with us to Hokage Tower?” 

Iruka hummed, tapping his fingers against his arm. “No.” 

He turned around, walking away from the two ANBU outside the compound. 

“Ahh, sensei! Please don’t leave me here!” Snail cried. 

Iruka ignored him, walking back into the house. He would release the man in an hour. If he remembered. 

* 

It was four days later and Iruka was still in the compound, but now there were more ANBU stationed outside the gates. He had released Snail and told him to tell the Hokage he would share his secrets when she shared hers. 

Evidently four days was long enough for the Hokage to completely lose her patience with the sensei. The whole compound shook with the force of her blow against the barrier. Her fist stuck to the barrier for a moment, but a blast of chakra burned the spiderweb chakra out. 

Iruka stood confidently in the courtyard. 

“Umino, get your ass out here and fix my tower!” she bellowed, a shout rivaling Iruka’s own. 

“But I’m _just_ a chuunin, Lady Hokage. How am I supposed to do something that is so obviously above my pay grade?” Iruka asked innocently. 

Tsunade growled, “you’ve spent too much time with the brat.” She took a breath before continuing, “Iruka, it was not right for me to say that, as your Hokage and as your friend.” 

Iruka cocked an eyebrow, remaining silent. 

“Please, for the love of kami, put the wards back.” 

“Kakashi?” 

Tsunade took a breath, closing her eyes. Iruka could see the emotions warring on her face. 

“I’ll fix it when you give me information on Kakashi. Anything, Lady Tsunade. I just need to know what to expect because right now, the only thing that I can assume is that he dead and I cannot—” Iruka’s voice broke. He couldn’t fathom the possibility that Kakashi was dead. It was too much. 

Resignation settled on Tsunade’s face. As she opened her mouth to speak, an ANBU appeared at her side, whispering something in her ear. Her expression shifted, her brows pinching. 

“Iruka, you’re going to want to follow me to the hospital,” the Hokage said, her voice tight, already turning toward the hospital. 

* 

“Did you really take down the warding on the tower?” Kakashi asked, a bit of awe creeping in. 

Iruka was sat in the uncomfortable visitors chair next to Kakashi’s hospital bed. He had been there for three days already, but Kakashi had just woken earlier that day since being carried in on the back of another shinobi who had found him passed out on the road about an hour outside the village. 

The chuunin didn’t answer, just continued to read his book. He was still mad at Kakashi for making him worry so much. 

“Maa, Iruka, don’t be like that,” Kakashi said, his voice only slightly slurred from the heavy-duty pain medication he was on. On top of chakra depletion (ultimately what made him lose consciousness on the road), his leg had been broken and he had fractures to several ribs and his collarbone. It was honestly a miracle he was alive, given that he had been held captive for nearly a month before making his escape, receiving the brunt of his injuries in the fight for freedom. 

The jounin tried to reach for Iruka’s hand, but he couldn’t quite make the limb function the way he wanted, so it was more of a limp fall to Iruka’s knee. 

“I missed you,” Kakashi whispered. “I’m sorry for making you worry.” 

Iruka looked up then, placing a finger between the pages of his book to mark his place and moved it to the side. His free hand reached for the fingers that were idly pawing at his knee. 

“Kakashi,” Iruka said leaning forward so his face was close to the other mans, his voice barely above a whisper, “if you ever worry me like this again, enemy nin will be the least of your problems.” He punctuated the statement with a kiss to the tip of Kakashi’s nose. 

“You shouldn’t be so fucking sexy while threatening me,” Kakashi breathed. 

Iruka’s cheeks blazed as he sat back in his chair. 

“I’m glad you’re home safe.” 

Kakashi gave Iruka a crooked smile, “there’s nowhere else I would rather be, even if you threaten me for worrying you.” 

Iruka laughed. The sound was warm and rich and soothed Kakashi in ways the pain medication couldn’t. 

“I do have one more question though,” Kakashi said. 

Iruka hummed, opening his book back up before lacing his fingers with Kakashi’s again. 

Kakashi’s grin turned wolfish, “how long did you leave Snail stuck to the barrier?” 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! 
> 
> stay safe and well out there! 
> 
> find me on [ tumblr](https://stupidbadgers.tumblr.com).


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